Preface

This Weekend’s highlights include a Louis Vuitton retrospective in Paris, a healthy menu in New York, and the new album release from the Magnetic Fields.

1. EXHIBITION: LONDON

—Kabuki: A Photographic Exhibition by Frederic Aranda

Despite delighting audiences out front for over 400 years, you won’t find many photos of the backstage area of Kabuki performances. In fact, an exhibition by Swiss-born photographer Frederic Aranda at London’s Hospital Club is claimed to be the first time behind-the-scenes photographs have ever been exhibited or put up for sale. In Japan, Kabuki is one of the most popular forms of traditional drama, mixing dance, song, and known for its highly stylised costumes and makeup. All the proceeds from sales will go to the Japan Society Tohoku Earthquake Relief Fund.

2. FOOD: NEW YORK

—Naturally Peninsula tasting menu

This weekend, The Peninsula New York hotel is offering a six-course tasting menu that is both nourishing and flavoursome. Naturally Peninsula is a multi-sensory healthy-eating dining philosophy, launched by The Peninsula’s flagship hotel in Hong Kong. Executive Chef Cornel Ruhland’s mindfully constructed menu is meant to appeal to all five senses, featuring crispy asparagus and organic saffron rice rolls and herb salt crusted, grass-fed veal loin. We recommend dropping into Bar at Fives for pre-dinner drinks.

3. ART: SYDNEY

—Hugh Ford at Iain Dawson Gallery

Australian painter Hugh Ford’s way with humour is a rare treat in the, at times, serious-faced world of fine art. His diagram-like works evoke the spirit of a dated self-help manual where everything seems perfect, except for the creeping, uneasy normalness of the events they depict. And so “World Thumbwrestling Championship Title Fight” might beg the question why Ford would spend time reproducing such an image. Likewise, the work – “A Real F—king Big Sandwich” might sound obvious. But to make the obvious feel unusual, is no simple task.

4. FASHION: PARIS

—Louis Vuitton – Marc Jacobs at Musée des Arts Décoratifs

Beginning this weekend at Musée des Arts Décoratifs, this is an analytic exhibition that tells the story of iconic French fashion house Louis Vuitton while celebrating the current appointment of designer Marc Jacobs as its creative director. Housed over two floors, the historical display provides every sought after handbag, suitcase or trinket that Vuitton devotees could wish to lay eyes on from the brand’s 150 year history. While the Jacobs floor sheds light on the evolution of the company during his 15 years of stewardship. The definition of a modern classic.

107 Rue de Rivoli, Paris. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 11.00-18.00, and 21.00 on Thursdays. Until 16 Septemberlesartsdecoratifs.fr

5. MUSIC: GLOBAL

—The Magnetic Fields: Love At the Bottom Of The Sea

The musical pen name of New York sonic satirist Stephen Merritt, The Magnetic Fields aren’t truly a band. Merritt often occupies a more back room role of writing the tunes while a revolving line-up of musicians bring them to life. The outfit’s 11th album eschews the conceptual themes of previous classics (1999’s 69 Love Songs was exactly that, 2004’s I had every song begin with that letter, and 2008’s Distortion was, well, loud). The concepts may change, but Merritt’s mastery of setting heartbreak, self-loathing, and good old-fashioned love to perfect three chord pop songs, is never in doubt.

Over a sunny weekend in Lisbon, delegates and speakers came together for Monocle's inaugural Quality of Life Conference. From the importance of healthy, robust media to how to run a metropolis, architects, mayors, entrepreneurs and key thinkers gave a fresh perspective on the world around us. This is our film that shows just a few of the highlights. And pencil the conference in your diaries for 2016 – we will be announcing details in the coming weeks.

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